1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the renovation of bathtubs, and more particularly, to the renovation of a plurality of identical existing bathtubs within multiple housing units such as apartments and hotels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Attempts have been made to renovate and refurbish existing bathtubs for housing units in which a great number of identical bathtubs are in existence and wherein the renovation is made without moving or in any major way disturbing the existing bathtub. U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,793 is exemplary of one method in which a bathtub liner assembly which is pre-manufactured of sheet steel coated with porcelain enamel and being of a size somewhat smaller than the existing bathtub is mounted on the tub with its surfaces being spaced from the existing tub surfaces and wherein appropriate plumbing connections are made through holes within the liner to the pipes coupling the drain fitting and the overflow fitting of the bathtub proper, and wherein perlite or other hardenable material fills the cavity between the liner and the existing bathtub to produce a relatively inflexible final renovated assembly.
In order to prevent the sides and bottom of the bathtub liner from flexing relative to the existing bathtub, either the sheet steel from which the liner assembly is formed is of relatively heavy gauge metal and therefore nonflexible, or great care must be taken in insuring that the cavity between the liner and the existing bathtub is completely filled with material which when solid prevents flexing of the liner in the absence of heavy gauge steel being employed as the stock sheet material in the formation of the bathtub liner. Further, the sheet metal liner being formed of sheet metal inherently by its very nature is subject to having the porcelain coating chipped or having portions of the liner bent during handling such as by shipment or during the process of assembly of the liner to the bathtub. Further, where the bathtub liner is made from sheet steel coated with porcelain enamel, the plumbing changes required to couple the existing plumbing piping to a liner which is somewhat smaller than the bathtub shell within which it is placed, requires additional plumbing changes, masonry work and tile work, adding to the cost of renovation of refurbishing. Further, in an attempt to fit all existing bathtubs with a universal unit, the liner is made excessively small with respect to many existing bathtub lengths, widths and depths, and this increased the volume of the voids between the bathtub and the liner which in turn increases the cost and mass of the inert granules needed to fill these cavities. In many cases, the universal liner does not conform to the original bathtub and changes the style completely which limits the acceptability of the renovation to those people where the style change is of no apparent concern. Further, upon using the liner when wet and soapy, slipping is inevitable on the sheet steel liner.
Further attempts have been made to renovate bathtubs in a manner other than that set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,793, one such method employs the epoxy spraying of the bathtubs to present a new appearance and to cover existing blemishes within the bathtub enamel coating. While this presents an initial new appearance when first sprayed, which is quite pleasing; after a short period of time, the surface becomes dull and is easily scratched, so in a very short matter of time, the renovated tub has an appearance which is even more unacceptable than that at the time renovation was initiated. This requires the respraying of the bathtub annually and, as mentioned, the deterioration in the surface finish is quite rapid.